Sunderland v Blackburn

By Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator

TEAM NEWS

Sunderland’s new manager Martin O’Neill is expected to recall Craig Gardner at the expense of suspended captain Lee Cattermole.

Nicklas Bendtner has not trained this week due to a groin problem, while Phil Bardsley is nursing an ankle injury.

Blackburn have doubts over Ruben Rochina and Martin Olsson, who faces a fitness test on a hamstring strain.

Midfielder Steven Nzonzi serves the final game of his three-match ban and Ryan Nelsen is still sidelined.

MATCH PREVIEW

This was the fixture that kicked off the year for Sunderland and Blackburn, and if the Black Cats’ 3-0 win hinted at problems to come for Rovers, it gave no sign that 2011 was set to be pretty miserable at the Stadium of Light.

Since that New Year’s Day success, Sunderland have won just two of 16 games in all competitions at their home ‘fortress’ – the word that several new regimes at the club have used in setting out their aims for the club, but an ideal that few have achieved.

That home form goes a long way to explaining why the decision was made to end Steve Bruce’s tenure as Sunderland manager, but a closer look at the aforementioned 3-0 win does more than just hint at a key reason for the club’s struggles. The goalscorers that day were Danny Welbeck, Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan – all of whom have of course since departed, with precious little Bruce could do to stop them going.

What would the Wearsiders give for a player with Yakubu’s current strike rate? His four against Swansea last weekend made it seven goals in his last five Premier League games, and took his season goals total to 10 – more than the number of games he’s started! If he could start getting one every game rather than goals in batches then Rovers might have a better chance of pulling away from the trouble they’re in.

Despite just one win from their last nine games (a record matched by Sunderland), and whether the supporters like it or not, all the signals suggest that Venky’s AND Steve Kean are staying – and the Blackburn boss might cast an envious ear to the cheers around the ground that will greet Martin O’Neill in his first game in charge of Sunderland.

If he doesn’t get off to a winning start, I’m happy to take some of the blame. A look back at everywhere I’ve been this season, as commentator or spectator, shows that I’ve now gone 12 matches without seeing a home win! Call me Jonah.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Sunderland have won 42 of their 63 home league matches against Blackburn.
• The Black Cats are unbeaten in their last six league meetings with Rovers.
• Blackburn have not won at The Stadium of Light since a 2-1 victory in September 2007.

Sunderland

• New Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill has taken charge of 304 Premier League matches as a manager (W114, D98, L92) – the eighth-most of any manager in the Premier League era.
• O’Neill’s last match in the English top flight was also at home to Blackburn as his then-Aston Villa side were beaten 1-0 on the final day of the 2009/10 season. He is looking to avoid three straight defeats against Rovers.
• Sunderland have lost each of their last two matches despite taking the lead. West Brom and Norwich are the only other clubs to have lost twice in the league from winning positions.

Blackburn

• Blackburn have scored in all seven away league games this season but have failed to win any of them (four points from a possible 21).
• Last weekend’s four-goal hero Yakubu has never been on the losing side in 30 previous Premier League games when he has scored the opening goal.
• Twenty-three goals have been scored in Rovers’ last five games, an average of 4.6 goals per game.
• Rovers have scored 21 Premier League goals this term – only the current top five clubs in the division have scored more.